I changed the world.

Page 163

As is customary in previous years, Yunxiao Temple does not close on New Year's Eve. Not only that, the Taoist priests are also divided into two groups to rest. Some of them go to rest early in the morning to relieve their fellow disciples on duty.

Chapter 272 Immortal Techniques

The New Year's atmosphere at Xuanmen Temple is very strong. On New Year's Eve, the guest rooms in the temple are basically full, and many worshippers are preparing to get up at dawn on New Year's Day to be the first to offer incense.

At that time, not only those living in the temple, but also many pilgrims from the foot of the mountain will flock into the temple to burn the first incense.

During the Spring Festival, the temple holds a series of ceremonies, mainly to worship the heavens and gods and pray for a bountiful harvest and good fortune in the coming year. As this is Li Jingxin's first Spring Festival as abbot, he has to personally preside over these ceremonies. After a busy day, even ordinary young Taoist priests feel a bit tired.

Not to mention that Li Jingxin is already an old man in his sixties, and such a workload is really too much. In fact, his attendant disciple Yu Dezhao secretly prepared some medicine for his master in case of emergency.

However, Li Jingxin's condition was clearly beyond many people's expectations. From early morning, Li Jingxin looked radiant and energetic. He not only presided over the sacrificial activities in accordance with the rituals without any mistakes, but also took a considerable amount of time to meet with some believers.

Throughout the day, Li Jingxin barely had any time to rest, not even a nap at noon. Yet, he showed no signs of fatigue, while Yu Dezhao, who followed behind him, kept yawning and looked quite tired.

Li Jingxin's performance naturally enhanced his image among many believers and Taoist spectators.

"Master, there's still work to be done in the early hours of the morning. You should rest early and get some more sleep," Yu Dezhao whispered as he escorted Li Jingxin back to his room.

Li Jingxin will naturally make an appearance at the ceremony of burning the first incense. Moreover, on the second day of the lunar new year, Li Jingxin will also publicly expound on the classics of Taoism to believers.

It can be said that Li Jingxin has been busy for several days in a row.

"I still have to do my homework tonight. You must be tired after following me all day, so go and rest first."

"Then... this disciple will take his leave." Yu Dezhao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not offer any further advice. Since taking over as abbot, his master had clearly become more diligent. Not only had he significantly increased the time he spent studying various classic texts each day, but he also spent a considerable amount of time meditating every night.

In Yu Dezhao's eyes, this was clearly a sign that his master was holding him to the standards of a true "religious leader."

As for the entire Yunxiao Mountain, the new abbot's actions have clearly increased the approval rating of everyone, who feel that they have made the right choice in selecting him.

After his disciple left, Li Jingxin closed the door and went to the quiet room to begin his cultivation for the day. With these few days of diligent practice, he finally mastered the "Huangtian Wuwei Jing" and his overall physical condition improved significantly. Some ailments that had appeared with age had not recurred for a long time, and his body, which had been aging day by day, was beginning to feel like it was regaining the energy of his prime.

This miraculous feeling alone kept him diligently practicing every day, and his admiration for his grandmaster uncle, Zhang Taihe, grew day by day. After all, this was genuine guidance from an immortal. Although his grandmaster uncle never accepted the term "immortal," only calling himself a "cultivator," the changes in himself over these days were undeniable...

He understood that this was a true "divine technique." Putting aside everything else, the fact that he could easily leap onto rooftops several meters high was far superior to any of the worldly skills he had ever seen before.

At the current pace, the so-called realms of being impervious to heat and cold, and leaving no trace in the snow, are just around the corner...

In fact, if it weren't for the many worldly things that bound him within the temple, Li Jingxin would have loved to stay in the quiet room all day long.

Time always flies when you're practicing. Before you know it, it's almost ten o'clock. Just then, Li Jingxin's phone, which was on vibrate and placed on the table to the side, suddenly rang.

Li Jingxin frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in his eyes, but he still picked up his phone. This phone number was not publicly available; very few people knew it. Normally, most invitations, interviews, inquiries, and similar requests were handled by the temple's dedicated staff and wouldn't reach him directly. Those who knew his number were all important figures of considerable standing.

Upon picking it up, I found a new message notification, sent by Director Qian of the Religious Affairs Bureau.

Within the empire's administrative system, the Bureau of Religious Affairs, as the superior authority of all religions within the empire, may not have a strong presence in daily life, but the higher the religious figure's rank, the more they understand the importance of maintaining good relations with these official institutions and avoiding offending them easily.

Li Jingxin opened the text message. Director Qian's writing style, like his personality, was consistently measured and even. First, he extended festive greetings to Li Jingxin and all the Taoist priests of Yunxiao Mountain. Then, he spent some time recalling their previous conversation at Yunxiao Mountain, expressing how much he had benefited from it… Li Jingxin didn't read these bureaucratic platitudes carefully and simply scrolled down the message…

However, Director Qian's subsequent line of thought left Li Jingxin somewhat puzzled.

He abruptly shifted the topic to the development of the Spice Islands, praising and affirming the role of "orthodox" religions like Taoism and Buddhism in stabilizing the local social environment and reducing resistance to imperial governance.

Then, he brought up the issue of "illegitimate worship" that had always existed in the area and asked Li Jingxin what his opinion was on it.

Finally, he also subtly mentioned that the Empire had discovered some unusual situations in Southeast Asia in recent days, which were suspected to be related to religious activities. Li Jingxin was a religious leader with wide influence in the country and was well-known for his scholarship. Therefore, the Bureau of Religious Affairs also hoped to hear his opinion on this matter.

Because the matter involves classified information, Director Qian will personally visit on the third day of the Lunar New Year to discuss the specifics in person…

After reading the entire article, Li Jingxin closed his eyes and pondered for a long time.

The term "improper worship" encompasses both unauthorized sacrifices and sacrifices not included in the official sacrificial rites. Learning from the lessons of previous dynasties, the founding of this dynasty maintained relatively strict control over religion. During the reigns of Emperors Taizu and Taizong, the *Huangzhao Sacrificial rites* were compiled, with subsequent dynasties adding to or revising it. Based on the *Sacrificial rites*, local county gazetteers also included sections on ancestral temples and shrines to regulate local sacrificial activities.

Generally speaking, apart from the main deities of a few major traditional religions, in other places, only those who have made contributions to the country and the local area are entitled to be worshipped, in addition to the ancestors of each household.

PS: Due to sensitive word restrictions, Li Jingxin's disciple Wu Dezhao has officially changed his name to Yu Dezhao. Just letting everyone know. May the Heavenly Venerable grant boundless blessings...

Chapter 273 Immoral Sacrifice and True Faith